Search results for "QE"
showing 10 items of 457 documents
Time evolution of medium and long-period ground tilting at Campi Flegrei caldera
2020
Abstract. We analyse tiltmeter time series recorded from April 2015 to March 2019 at three borehole instruments installed at Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy). We evaluate the crustal response in terms of ground tilting to external excitations of medium/long-period tidal constituents by applying a polarization analysis. The azimuths of the tilt vectors show well-defined polarization directions and the ground tilting planes oscillate with the periodicity of the corresponding tidal constituents. For two of the three tiltmeters, the average ground oscillation pattern related to the monthly Mm and fortnightly Mf constituents show seasonal variations, which can be ascribed to rainfall-induced tiltin…
Characterization of the seismic dynamical state through joint analysis of earthquakes and seismic noise: the example of Ischia Volcanic Island (Italy)
2020
This work is devoted to the study of both earthquakes and background seismic noise at Ischia Island (Italy) recorded pre and post the Md 4.0 earthquake occurred on 21 August 2017 (18:57 UTC). We compare and characterize noise and earthquakes in terms of Independent Component Analysis, energy and polarization properties. The earthquakes' waveforms and the background noise are decomposed into a few independent components with two main common signals peaked around 1–2 and 3–4 Hz, respectively. A slight increase of the energy of the background seismic noise is observed comparing samples recorded in 2016 and 2017, whereas no variations are detected in 2017 pre and post the main ear…
Morphodynamics of river bed variation with variable bedload step length
2013
Abstract. Here we consider the 1-D morphodynamics of an erodible bed subject to bedload transport. Fluvial bed elevation variation is typically modeled by the Exner equation, which, in its classical form, expresses mass conservation in terms of the divergence of the bedload sediment flux. An entrainment form of the Exner equation can be written as an alternative description of the same bedload processes, by introducing the notions of an entrainment rate into bedload and of a particle step length, and assuming a certain probability distribution for the step length. This entrainment form implies some degree of nonlocality, which is absent from the standard flux form, so that these two express…
BEST-2K Method for Characterizing Dual-Permeability Unsaturated Soils with Ponded and Tension Infiltrometers
2019
This study presents a new method (BEST-2K) that extends the existing BEST methods for use in characterizing the water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions of matrix and fast-flow regions in dual-permeability soils. BEST-2K requires input information from two water infiltration experiments that are performed under ponded (Beerkan) and unsaturated (tension infiltrometer) conditions at the surface. Other required inputs include water content measurements and the traditional BEST inputs (particle size distribution and bulk density). In this study, first, a flowchart of the BEST-2K method was developed and illustrated with analytically generated data for a synthetic dual-permeability s…
Monitoring and prediction in early warning systems for rapid mass movements
2015
Rapid mass movements (RMM) pose a substantial risk to people and infrastructure. Reliable and cost-efficient measures have to be taken to reduce this risk. One of these measures includes establishing and advancing the state of practice in the application of early warning systems (EWSs). EWSs have been developed during the past decades and are rapidly increasing. In this paper, we focus on the technical part of EWSs, i.e., the prediction and timely recognition of imminent hazards, as well as on monitoring slopes at risk and released mass movements. Recent innovations in assessing spatial precipitation, monitoring and precursors of the triggering and deformation of RMM offer new opportunities…
Ground instability in the old town of Agrigento (Italy) depicted by on-site investigations and Persistent Scatterers data
2012
We combine on-site investigations with the interpretation of satellite Persistent Scatterers (PS) to analyse ground instability in the historic town of Agrigento, Italy. Geological and geomorphologic surveys, together with geostructural and kinematic analyses, depict the deformational patterns of the northwestern sector of the town, previously documented by extensive literature available for the neighbouring Valley of the Temples. The geological and geomorphologic maps are reconstructed by combining bibliographic studies, field surveys and aerial stereo-interpretation. ERS-1/2 PS data reveal deformation velocities up to 18–20 mm yr<sup>−1</sup> in 1992–2000 over the Addolorata l…
Decadal oscillations of the aquatic chemistry of river waters in Latvia
2018
Abstract. Water quality changes of surface waters can be used to assess human impact intensity, but of importance is to consider also impacts of climate change/variability and naturally occurring changes of environmental quality. In Latvia, during the recent decades a major reduction of anthropogenic pressure has happened due to restructuring of economy and industrial production, resulting in major decrease of loading of many groups of pollutants. However, trends and driving factors for other groups of substances have not been much studied. Long term (1980–2012) results of hydrochemical monitoring, performed in rivers of Latvia, are analysed during this study in connection with long-term se…
Human activity and damaging landslides and floods on Madeira Island
2011
Abstract. Over the last few decades, the island of Madeira has become an important offshore tourism and business center, with rapid economic and demographic development that has caused changes to the landscape due to human activity. In Madeira's recent history, there has been an increase over time in the frequency of occurrence of damaging landslide and flood events. As a result, the costs of restoration work due to damage caused by landslide and flood events have become a larger and larger component of Madeira's annual budget. Landslides and floods in Madeira deserve particular attention because they represent the most serious hazard to human life, to property, and to the natural environme…
Sensitivity of a mesoscale model to different convective parameterization schemes in a heavy rain event
2011
Abstract. The Valencia region, on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, is propitious to heavy precipitation, especially the area encompassing the South of Valencia province and the North of the Alicante province. In October 2007 a torrential rain affected the aforementioned area, producing accumulated rainfall values greater than 400 mm in less than 24 h and flash-floods that caused extensive economic losses and human casualties. This rain event has been studied in numerical experiments using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. The present paper deals with the effect of using the different convective parameterizations (CP) currently implemented in the Regional Atmospheric…
Numerical study of the October 2007 flash flood in the Valencia region (Eastern Spain): the role of orography
2010
Abstract. A torrential rain event took place in the Valencia region in October 2007, mainly affecting coastal areas and nearby mountains in the center-south of the region, in northern Alicante province. More than 400 mm in 24 h were recorded at some stations in these areas, with lower accumulations in the rest of the region where rainfall was less intense. In the first part of this work a description of the meteorological situation is given. The synoptic frame of the event is characterised by an advection of easterly maritime winds across the Western Mediterranean, lasting for at least 48 h, driving moist air towards the Iberian Peninsula eastern coast and the presence of an upper level iso…